


Lights, Camera, Reaction!

by supercasey



Series: Sanders Sides Fics [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brother-Brother Relationship, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flirting, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, Play Fighting, Pyrophobia, Romance, Sibling Rivalry, Stargazing, Theatre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 12:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21374395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercasey/pseuds/supercasey
Summary: Sanders Sides College Teachers AU. After the disaster that was the school’s last play, Mr. Prince wants to perform one of his original ideas to try and save the school theatre’s reputation, but he needs Principal Star’s approval before he can get started! With help from the other teachers, he hopes to make his dream a reality, but will an unexpected scare for Dimitri ruin everything? Not if Roman has anything to say about it!
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit Sanders
Series: Sanders Sides Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1484387
Comments: 12
Kudos: 30





	Lights, Camera, Reaction!

**Author's Note:**

> My sister and her friends on Tik Tok have a College Teachers AU for Sanders Sides, and she really wanted me to write a fic for it, so here y’all go! I’ll be honest, I’m definitely a fan of Deceit in this AU, but in any case, I hope people will like this fic, especially my big sister! ((BTW, Roman and Remus are still twins in this AU, but they were separated at birth, so no one in the AU knows that yet.))

By all accounts, Dimitri thinks this is single-handedly one of the most  _ idiotic  _ things he’s ever participated in… then again, considering what a shitshow the school’s attempt at performing Heathers was- the students playing JD and Veronica unabashedly grinded on each other during Dead Girl Walking, much to everyone in the audience’s collective horror (save for Remus, who was laughing like a hyena the entire time)- it should really come as no surprise that Principal Star now requires Roman to give him a preview of what he can expect before he approves a play for production. Nonetheless, Dimitri has to bite his lip to keep from blushing as he readjusts his corset, already regretting his decision to help Roman with his stupid play, but after the threatre teacher had flashed him those godforsaken puppy-dog eyes… he sighs under his breath, hating himself for giving in. Once he has the embarrassingly well-fitted corset on properly, Dimitri gives his reflection a careful once-over, unable to keep from cupping a hand over the scarred half of his face; like this, he doesn’t look as bad in his eyes.

As he’s doing this, Remus- AKA Mr. Hayes, the school’s best science teacher… somehow- kicks down the door to the dressing room, making sure to grin like the Joker at the mirror so Dimitri will see his expression. “It’s  _ showtime, _ baby!” Remus bellows, so loud that Dimitri’s tempted to cover his ears.  _ “Ooooo…  _ damn, snakey, if I knew you looked  _ that  _ hot in a corset, I would’ve convinced Princey to dress you up  _ way  _ sooner. Makes a man wonder how much better those clothes would look on my floor~!” He coos, his gaze sultry when looking at his and Dimitri’s reflections.

Dimitri blushes redder than an apple, flustered by Remus’s stupid commentary. “Shut it,” He orders, unable to keep the growl out of his voice. “It’s not  _ my  _ fault Prince’s idiotic play requires  _ two  _ male leads… why in the name of God did Mr. Prince even choose  _ me  _ of all teachers on staff? Why not  _ you, _ or even _ Castro?” _

Remus saunters into the room, wrapping his arms around Dimitri’s torso.  _ “Because,  _ Dim-Dims… let’s be honest, if we tried to put Virge in a corset, he’d bite Roman’s head off! As for me, if I had to pretend to like Fancy Pants for even  _ two seconds, _ I’d shove my dick in a blender!” He smiles then, leaning more against Dimitri, not really caring about giving the other teacher any personal space. “Chin up, cupcake; you look good enough to eat!”

Just as Dimitri is about to start sputtering again- or elbow Remus in the throat; whatever he can pull off first- the door behind him opens again, this time with Roman Prince standing in the doorway. “Dimitri, are you-” He pauses mid-sentence, expression going from excited to irritated within seconds of seeing Remus. “Hey, Trash-Boy! Hands off the lead!” He orders, glaring daggers at the other teacher.

Remus smiles oh so innocently over his shoulder, trying to act coy. “Aw, I’m not hurting him, Rommie!” He promises, his tone sickly sweet. “Just gettin’ him hyped up for his big performance, that’s all!”

“That’s  _ my  _ job,” Roman says, rolling his eyes at Remus’s behavior. “How about you make yourself useful and help Patton with his make-up? I don’t think he’s ever touched eye-shadow in his life, and unfortunately, it shows.”

Remus frowns at that, but ultimately relents. “You’re  _ such  _ a killjoy,” He complains, making it sound like he just got asked to run laps around campus. However, he quickly regains his upbeat attitude, pinching Dimitri’s cheek to try and force a smile. “See ya onstage, princess!” He says, before skipping out of the room, making a point out of hip-checking Roman on his way out.

Roman huffs outright, looking just about ready to tackle Remus to the ground, but he gives it up, shaking his head before offering Dimitri a fake smile. Offhandedly, Dimitri finds his eyes roaming over the other teacher, unable to keep from admiring him in all his glory. Roman is dressed in a makeshift royal outfit, which he reportedly sewed himself, with a blood red sash tied across his chest to pull the whole thing together. With the shirt being a little too tight on Roman, Dimitri can very easily see the way the theatre teacher’s muscles are constricted, making him look quite…  _ acceptable.  _ Dimitri coughs awkwardly into his fist, looking away with a blush as he realizes that he was unabashedly ogling his fellow teacher; just because Roman is wearing tight clothes doesn’t mean he needs to act like a pervert. _ Come on, Dimitri, you’re better than this! _ While Dimitri’s busy being a mess, Roman fully enters the dressing room, shutting the door on his way inside, which only goes to make Dimitri even  _ more  _ embarrassed, his cursed brain coming up with numerous inappropriate thoughts. Thankfully, Roman is none the wiser as he approaches Dimitri, setting his clipboard down on the nearest table on his way over.

“Sorry about Remus,” Roman says, trying to clear the air. “I don’t know why he has to act like such a damn creep, but… well, you know him,” He sighs dramatically, shaking his head. “I feel bad for anyone who has the displeasure of sharing blood with him. Though, anyone related to him is probably just as insane.”

Dimitri manages a chuckle. “It would indeed be a tragedy,” He agrees, giving his corset another once-over, now that the play’s director is present. “Will this be acceptable for the play? I know you said it had a more old-fashioned dress code, and you mentioned that the character I’m playing is quite…  _ fearless.” _ He uses that term, as he’s still a bit surprised that Roman would be so bold as to create an openly gay man for his play. Then again, Principal Star  _ did  _ say he wants the school’s plays to have more LGBT roles.

Roman smiles at Dimitri, causing the other teacher’s heart to flutter in his chest. “You look absolutely  _ marvelous, _ darling,” He assures, a breeziness in his tone that catches Dimitri somewhat off-guard. “Though, I don’t think you’re wearing it right.”

“Huh?” Dimitri turns around to look in the mirror, eyes widening when he realizes what he did wrong. “Oh,  _ goddammit,” _ He mutters, horrified that his corset is facing the wrong way. “Why the hell didn’t Hayes  _ say  _ anything!?”

“Because he’s an idiot with no tact,” Roman deadpans, coming to stand behind Dimitri. “Here, let me help you with this,” All too easily, he loosens the corset, turns it carefully around Dimitri’s torso until it’s facing the right way, and then he ties it up again.  _ “There  _ we go; easy as that!” He chirps, patting the other man’s shoulder once he’s done.

Dimitri gets ready to say something- to thank Roman for helping, maybe- but for the second time tonight, he gets interrupted by the door opening. “Mr. Cecil, are you ready?” Logan asks, only to pause when he sees the scene in front of him. Immediately he’s blushing, quick to avert his gaze to the floor. “Um… we’re all ready when you are, Mr. Prince,” He explains, voice jittery, as he’s quite embarrassed to have walked in on such an intimate moment. “I’ll be, um, waiting onstage for further instructions.” And just like that, he takes off back outside.

Roman chuckles as Logan runs off, amused by his reaction. “Looks like Einstein’s never done theatre, or else he’d know this is normal,” He gives Dimitri another smirk, combing his fingers through the other man’s hair real quick. “There, that oughta do it… we’d better hurry, darling, or we’ll miss our parts!” He grabs Dimitri by the elbow, beginning to lead him towards the door.

“As if they could have the play without the lead roles,” Dimitri mutters, rolling his eyes at Roman’s typical air of drama. “Do be careful not to make fools out of us, Prince, or I’ll make you regret forcing me into this stupid outfit.”

“Don’t worry, everything is going to go  _ perfectly!” _ Roman promises, a skip in his step at the prospect of acting onstage for the first time in a long while. “Just you  _ watch,  _ Dimitri! This is going to be the greatest moment of acting in the school’s  _ history!” _

“Don’t test fate, you moron; she’s a spiteful bitch.” Dimitri warns, but nonetheless allows Roman to continue dragging him towards his fate, all the while wishing he’d had something more to drink, if only to kill his troublesome nerves.

* * *

“How  _ dare  _ you betray us, Lord Vagabond!” Remy bellows, falling to his knees in mock devastation. “How  _ could  _ you!? How could you shun your family, poison your wife, and crucify your once beloved father? And for what? For some  _ foolish  _ attempt at attracting the  _ Dragon Bitch!? _ For _ shame! _ For _ sh-” _

“-Mr. Watson!” Simon shouts, causing everyone onstage to look up expectantly at him. “It’s Dragon _ Witch, _ not Dragon  _ Bitch!  _ Please  _ try  _ to have  _ some  _ sense of common decency!”

“Dragon Bitch is so much more  _ catchy, _ though,” Remy admits, dropping the act entirely, though he refuses to get up from his crouched position in front of Dimitri. “And besides, it’s not like we’re performing for kids, right? This is a  _ college  _ theatre, babe!”

“Regardless, you need to follow the script,” Simon orders, glaring at Remy through his signature sunglasses. “If you keep acting inappropriately, you’ll be asked to give your part to someone who isn’t going to act like a child!”

“It’s okay, Simon, really,” Thomas says, trying to calm the vice principal down from his seat beside him; they’re the only people in the audience, as everyone else is performing in the play. He then shoots Dimitri and Remy an apologetic smile, wanting to kill the tension if he can. “Sorry about that, guys. Please, continue whenever you’re ready!”

Dimitri rolls his eyes, before clearing his throat. “Do not assume my intentions, dear brother,” He says, getting right back into character as he backs away from Remy, unsheathing a plastic sword from his belt. “I am giving you one last chance to leave this land of sadness, or I shall slit your throat and end our cursed bloodline.”

Remy stands on shaky knees, attempting to draw his own sword. “My dearest brother, you… you…” He tosses the sword aside, collapsing to his knees again to scream. “I love you, brother, I truly do! And for this reason, I cannot end you! Please, I’m begging you, return home with me, and we will find a way to undo the damage you have done!”

“No one can stop the Dragon Witch!” Patton shouts, running at full-speed from the left; unfortunately, this backfires, and he can’t slow down before he slams right into Dimitri. “Look out!” He yelps, sending himself and the psychology teacher to the floor of the stage.

Although his face is now being crushed against the floor, Dimitri can still hear Simon audibly groan. “For the love of all that is holy… Mr. Rosemary, what on  _ earth  _ were you thinking!?” The vice principal stands up, glowering at the literature teacher with all his might. “You weren’t even supposed to  _ enter  _ from stage left; you were supposed to come at Mr. Watson from _ behind!” _

“Sorry, Sims!” Patton says, sitting up on his knees while fiddling with his hands. “I realized I was on the wrong side, so I panicked and tried to make it work.”

“Would you  _ please  _ get off of me already!?” Dimitri growls, squirming underneath Patton, who still has his knees on his back. Thankfully, Patton quickly jumps up, allowing his fellow teacher to stand and dust himself off.

From behind the left stage curtain, Roman pokes his head out, unable to keep from huffing at the scene before him. “I  _ knew  _ I should have gotten my own students to do this… alright, everyone! Back to your places; from the top, but with more feeling this time!”

Again, Dimitri is fighting not to roll his eyes at the dramatics of it all, but he nonetheless goes back to his original position, waiting for Patton to leave to redo the scene. “Ah, hello again, brother dearest,” He greets Remy with open arms, sending the tutor a threatening smile. “And what has brought you to my new home? Are you here to finally join me at the Dragon Witch’s side? Together we can finally fix our kingdom!”

“I would  _ never  _ do such a thing! In fact, I’m here to stop you!” Remy moves to draw his sword, only to realize it’s still where he threw it. Not even blinking, he holds up empty air, acting as if he’s holding his sword still. “How  _ dare  _ you betray us, Lord Vagabond!” He just keeps going, not at all fazed; Dimitri quietly wonders if he’s done Theatre before. “How  _ could you, _ brother!? How could you shun your family, poison your wife, and crucify your once beloved father? And for what? For some  _ foolish  _ attempt at attracting the  _ Dragon Witch!?” _ He very purposefully locks eyes with Simon when he says that, sending the vice principal a sly wink. “For _ shame! _ For _ shame!” _

With no interruptions this time, Dimitri goes all in. “Do not assume my intentions, dear brother,” He orders, drawing out his sword again, this time flipping it in the air and catching it by the handle; he sees Patton, who’s moved backstage to be on the right side this time, grin like a bobcat at the spectacle. “I am giving you one last chance to leave this land of sadness, or I shall slit your throat and end our cursed bloodline once and for all!”

As he doesn’t have a sword this time again, Remy crumbles to the ground immediately, trying his hand at even  _ more  _ improv. “Oh, my dear brother… I can’t kill you, no matter how hard I try!” He clutches his hands over his heart, leaning his head back to wail. “I love you, brother, I truly do! And for this reason, I cannot end you! Please, I’m begging you, return home with me, and we will find a way to undo the damage you have done! We do not have to end your story this way,” Almost tentatively, he extends a hand to Dimitri. “Percival Vagabond, the keeper of my comfort, please… come  _ home.” _

_ “No one _ can stop the Dragon Witch!” Patton shouts again, this time jogging up behind Remy to stab a fake sword between his shoulder blades. “Death to you, nonbeliever!” He adds, before standing up and giving Dimitri an expectant grin. “Did I do good, Master Vagabond? Do you think the Dragon Witch will accept me into her forces now?”

“You foolish fool!” Dimitri bellows, collapsing to his knees by Remy’s twitching body. Trying hard not to make it look like it’s as hard as it is, Dimitri picks Remy up somewhat under his knees and back, pulling him into a bridal style embrace. “Oh my sweet, naive, precious big brother… how could this happen? Why did you have to follow me here?” He actually manages some real tears, resting his cheek against Remy’s chest. “Rest now, Jeremy, and I will see you again in the Undertow… please, wait for me there.”

“But… I killed him for you, my master! Didn’t you  _ want  _ this? Aren’t I a good soldier?” Patton asks, playing up the role of an eager to please foot-soldier.

_ “You… _ you are nothing but the dirt I walk on!” Dimitri yells, standing up and stabbing a fake knife into Patton’s chest, before kicking him in the knees, sending the literature teacher to the ground.

“Oh  _ God…  _ I expire!” Patton whispers, before going limp, coming to lie on top of Remy.

Dimitri pauses for a few seconds, breathing very heavily as he observes the bodies before him. “Two bodies… two days…” He looks up, trying to imagine that he’s looking at a sunset. “I will avenge this day… rest now, my Jeremy, and I will see you again someday.”

As soon as he’s done, Thomas and Simon both stand up, Thomas clapping very enthusiastically while Simon claps more calmly. “That was  _ fantastic, _ Dimitri!” Thomas says, grinning from ear to ear. “At this rate, we oughta become a traveling theatre!”

Simon just rolls his eyes, shaking his head in exasperation. “Please, Mr. Star, it wasn’t  _ that  _ impressive,” He points out, but he does indeed flash Dimitri a subtle smirk. “Very good job, Mr. Cecil. Though, next time try not to breathe so heavily; you sounded like a bloody racehorse.”

Dimitri knows that’s the best compliment he’ll get from Simon, so he simply smiles and gives a mock bow. “Thank you very much, sir.” He replies, before running with Patton and Remy backstage to wait for the next scene.

The minute Dimitri steps backstage with the others, Roman gives him a tight hug, much to the psychology teacher’s astonishment. “Oh, Dimitri, that was _ perfect!” _ Roman praises, jumping up and down while still hugging Dimitri. “If Thomas really does approve this play, I might just have to cast you as Lord Vagabond, seeing as you fit the role so well!”

Dimitri blushes, looking away. “I-It was nothing,” He insists, more embarrassed for some reason when Roman is the one praising him. “Really, Watson was doing a much better job.”

“Bullshit,” Remy says between gulps from his Starbucks cup, which he gives a disappointed look when he sees that it’s empty. “Aw fuck, I’m out.”

“Do you want some of the coffee from the snack table?” Patton offers, quickly abandoning his sinister role from earlier to go back to his joyous, helpful self.

Remy pulls a face, not liking the sound of that. “Patton, sweetie, babe… if I had to drink the muddy water Logan calls coffee, I’d die on the spot, alright? That’s like telling a baby to drink sugar water instead of formula.”

“That’s not at all what that’s like, but go off I guess,” Virgil mutters, trying hard to sit still as Remus redoes his make-up. He coughs as he’s powdered, squeezing his eyes shut at the cloud of dust invading his vision. “Dang it, Remus, be careful! You almost got powder in my eyes!”

“Oh hush, Corpse Bride,” Remus says, chuckling at the look on Virgil’s pale face. “I’m just trying to make you look pretty for the next scene!”

“Remus, I’m literally about to die in the next scene; I don’t think anyone’s gonna care how pale my face looks,” Virgil points out, sparing Roman a scowl when the theatre teacher happens to glance his way. “Tell me again why the hell so many people die in this play?” He requests, still pretty irritated, but Dimitri has a feeling that’s more due to sensory overload than a dislike for the play.

“Because everyone but the gay couple dies,” Roman explains, smiling at what he believes is a genius idea. “It’s a jab at the way Hollywood keeps killing off the gay characters in their films.”

“Ya know what? That’s valid,” Virgil takes that well, relaxing his shoulders so he can try and stop flinching every time Remus touches him. “Can we get this next scene out of the way soon, please? I’m losing it over here.” He warns, which is about as much of a warning as anyone with get, as he’s reaching his limit.

“In a minute,” Roman promises, before turning to Dimitri again. “Three more scenes and you’ll return for the finale, okay? Why not take a few minutes to rest up?” He then looks to Virgil and Remus, smirking at the duo. “Are you two ready? It’s showtime!”

“Thank god,” Virgil mutters, hopping off his stool as fast as possible. “The minute we’re done, I’m taking a ten hour shower.”

“Aw, what’s  _ wrong, _ Virge? I thought you  _ loved  _ make-up!” Remus teases, well aware that Virgil hates how much is on him.

Virgil scoffs, rolling his eyes at Remus’s behavior. “I like a  _ little  _ make-up, but nothing this…” He gives a nearby mirror a weary look, biting his lip to keep from wincing. “Eccentric.”

“Places, boys,” Roman moves Virgil and Remus along, knowing full well that they’ll drone on forever if given the chance. He flashes Dimitri another smirk, winking at him. “See you soon, darling!”

Dimitri simply nods, retreating to the nearby couch to sit and decompress before the finale. He likes to believe he’s been doing alright so far, despite having so many people staring at him throughout the play, and it’s actually been pretty fun! Offhandedly, Dimitri sort of wishes he had done Theatre as a kid, but considering his other after school activities… he shivers, shaking his head to try and dispel the unwanted memories. He’s here at the college now, and he has the chance to have a fresh start… his troublesome past doesn’t have to haunt him forever, right? Dimitri’s safe here, he knows that, even if his conscience wants him to believe he’s no better than  _ her. _ Again, he shudders, turning to his cell phone as a distraction. While scrolling his apps, Dimitri people-watches out of the corner of his eye, fading into the background as his fellow teachers quietly whisper amongst each other, for fear of interrupting the show outside. This continues for another thirty or so minutes, until finally, Dimitri hears the second to last scene end, with Logan trying to shout as he dies, but it just comes out…  _ awkward, _ like he has no clue what he’s doing, which he doesn’t, on account of him sucking at acting.

“Gosh  _ darn it,  _ Logan!” Roman says, following Logan backstage a few seconds later. “How can you  _ not  _ scream on command? Screaming is the easiest thing in the world!”

“I do not  _ like  _ to act,” Logan deadpans, not the least bit sorry for giving a terrible performance. “Maybe next time you should recruit students for your ridiculous games.”

“It’s not a  _ game, _ Lord of the Nerds!” Roman insists, looking honest to god angry at Logan’s insult. “This is  _ Theatre, _ and I won’t let bummers like you ruin this for everyone else,” He takes a second to cool off, before flashing everyone an apologetic smile. “Um… sorry, everyone, I’m just…  _ stressed,  _ is all. I only hope Principal Star will approve the play after all of this.”

“It’ll be  _ fine,  _ babe,” Remy promises, all while nonchalantly leaning against the snack table behind him. “Don’t even sweat it. Sure, it’s a wild ride of a play, but so is everything else on Broadway! You’ve got this in the bag!”

“Yeah!” Patton agrees, giving Roman a reassuring smile. “This has been so much _ fun,  _ Roman! I’m sure Thomas will approve of Dragon Witch, and then you can make this play even better with your students!”

Dimitri nods in agreement, standing up and clapping a hand onto Roman’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll make this next scene _ perfect,” _ He promises, wanting nothing more than to earn another loving smile from the theatre teacher. “Are you ready? I am whenever you are.”

Roman hesitates for all of a minute, before smiling back at Dimitri, though his is much more weary and uncertain. “Y-Yeah… we can do this!” He says, trying to be positive. “Come on, we don’t have any time to lose!” He explains, dragging Dimitri back onstage with him.

And Dimitri let’s him, secretly finding Roman’s enthusiasm endearing, even when he knows it’s being forced right now.

* * *

The first half of the finale goes on without a hitch, much to Dimitri’s relief. As planned, Patton’s character makes a surprise return, making Dimitri’s character believe that his older brother could still be alive, but he ends up being revealed as an illusion by the dreaded Dragon Witch, causing Dimitri’s character to go into hysterics. In his rage, Dimitri tries to kill the Dragon Witch, who is being played by Emile Picani of all teachers. The moment he’s close enough, Emile waves his wings/cape, sending Dimitri to the floor as he more or less tries to fake convulse, which looks…  _ very  _ fake, at least in Dimitri’s opinion, but the lack of a tongue-click from Simon suggests it’s not as bad looking as he thinks it is. While pretending to be unconscious on the ground, Dimitri cracks an eye open, trying to see how well the scene is going. In his role as the Dragon Witch’s beloved but rebellious son, Roman faces Emile with an angry glint in his eyes, before snatching the plastic sword from Deceit’s belt and pointing it menacingly at Emile, who simply smirks at Roman, as if he’s amused by the theatre teacher’s attempt at intimidating him. Silently, Dimitri is impressed with both men’s performances, slowly becoming convinced that everyone but him and Logan did Theatre as kids.

“Mother, how could you  _ kill him!?” _ Roman bellows, voice filled with rage and betrayal. “After all Lord Vagabond has done for us, for our kingdom…  _ why!?” _

“He was  _ playing us,  _ my naive child,” Emile fakes a high-pitched, evil voice, which Dimitri honestly thinks is a bit much. “Did you not see the signs? Well, you certainly can’t ignore  _ proof,”  _ He pulls out a brown notebook from his satchel, opening it to a blank page, which is supposed to have writing on it, but Roman forgot to do that part. Nonetheless, that doesn’t stop Emile from continuing the scene. “My child, this is Lord Vagabond’s journal! Would you like to know what he’s said about you?” There’s a pause, where Roman’s character hesitates, before he tentatively nods. “Believe it or not, Lord Vagabond _ loves you, _ my prince. In fact, his love for you is the only reason he joined us!” Emile tosses the notebook at Dimitri, nailing him in the forehead. “I will not have some halfbred royalty trying to steal my child! Begone, you lord of nothing! You have done all you can for me, so I need not keep you any longer.”

“Lord  _ Vagabond…  _ oh, my _ Percy,”  _ Roman kneels now at Dimitri’s side, cupping his face in his hands, before he glares up at Emile. “Mother, you  _ fool…  _ you claim  _ I  _ am the naive one, but how could you not have known that Lord Vagabond and I have been together for over  _ three moons!?” _ As Emile audibly gasps, Roman stands, raising his sword at the animation teacher again. “I will  _ not  _ let you take the  _ only  _ person who has ever loved me for  _ me,  _ Mother… I  _ do  _ sincerely love you, but I will end you if you take Percival away from me.”

“Pitiful  _ worm,” _ Another high pitched voice crows, Remus appearing from the makeshift tree behind Roman and Dimitri, causing Roman to swing around and glare at him next. “I always  _ knew  _ you were nothing more than a  _ coward,  _ brother… honestly, how can you expect a mere  _ mortal  _ to love you? Man is weak and small, and they all die the same,” As Remus steps forward, he pulls a… a  _ lighter  _ out of his back pocket.  _ Oh no. _ “On their  _ backs, _ like _ whores.” _

“STOP!” Thomas shouts, jumping up the  _ minute  _ he sees the lighter.

Everyone goes still onstage, except for Dimitri, who has subtly begun shaking, not that anyone notices. “What’s the big deal, boss?” Remus asks, dropping the voice to give his employer a less than impressed frown. “It’s just a little lighter; I’m supposed to be breathing fire for this!”

“Um…” Thomas flounders, trying to find an excuse to get rid of the lighter by any means possible. “You can’t have an open flame in the theater, Remus; someone could get hurt!”

“Oh _ please, _ it’s not like I’m actually setting anything on fire!” Remus explains, stepping a bit closer to Roman and Dimitri, all while lighting the lighter, causing a tiny flame to emerge from the device. “Though, Princey’s shirt  _ does  _ look pretty flammable…” He snickers, pointing the lighter at Roman. “Would be a shame if you burst into flames, Prince  _ Farting~!” _

“Cut it out, Remus!” Roman orders, getting up to glower at Remus, the most annoyed look on his face. “You’re ruining the play!”

“I’m making the play  _ better!” _ Remus insists, waving the lighter at Roman. “It’s not my fault you wanna be such a- oh  _ fuck!” _

Just like that, the lighter catches Roman’s sleeve, and sets the theatre teacher’s shirt on fire. Really, it’s nothing, the fire not being all that big. Really, it’s out in an instant, as Roman throws his shirt off fast as lightning, him and Remus stomping on it until the fire’s out. Really, it’s not a big deal, considering how bad it could’ve been. Nonetheless, the  _ moment  _ Roman’s shirt catches the flame, Dimitri feels his stomach sink, his eyes widening in horror as his heartbeat seems to slow.  _ Dimitri’s just a kid, staring up at the building as it burns, burns, burns, a familiar hand on his shoulder, telling him to run, telling him to get back in the car, but he ignores it, running inside, his face feeling way too hot as he crosses through the doorway. _ Not really registering anything more than light, Dimitri takes off like a frightened prey animal, smashing past Emile on his way offstage, not giving anyone time to stop him. From afar, Dimitri can hear his fellow staff members shouting for him to come back, but he pays them no mind, his brain in the midst of fight or flight instincts, and he definitely chose the latter. It’s only when Dimitri gets out the backdoor of the theatre, and has the nighttime air blowing over his sweaty face, that he finally comes to a grinding halt.

In a daze, Dimitri looks nervously around the parking lot, trying to reorient himself with the world around him. As previously stated, it’s long after sunset, the nighttime air doing wonders to chill the teacher’s otherwise overheated body. Physically stuttering, Dimitri stumbles further away from the theatre building, trying to find a place to hide until he’s calmed down. He ends up at Virgil’s car, it being a beat-up old pick-up truck, which he hops into the trunk of, as he’s sat back here with Mr. Castro plenty of times during lunch breaks. Finally feeling safe enough to do so, Dimitri curls in on himself, hugging his knees to his chest as he feels himself sinking, even as he so desperately tries to stay afloat. The world seems like a bottomless ocean, and despite spending years being carried atop the waves, Dimitri doesn’t think he’s ever learned to really  _ swim, _ merely clinging to flotsam to keep from meeting his fate. Back when  _ She  _ was around, finding flotsam was easier, but now… now that Dimitri’s well and truly alone, he feels like everything is too much, like there’s storm clouds gathering overhead, and unlike everyone else, who’s safe in the boats their parents built for them, he’s out here, in the sea, doomed to die an awful death.

Is he being over-dramatic? Sure, but Dimitri likes to think he’s allowed, on account of just getting done performing in the world’s most dramatic play ever.

“Dimitri?  _ Dimitri?” _ A voice calls out, coming from across the parking lot.

Dimitri ducks immediately, lying on his stomach to stay out of sight. In the meantime, he hears a pair of footsteps come closer, continuing to call out to him. “Dimitri?  _ …Mr. Cecil?” _ Upon closer examination, Dimitri realizes that it’s  _ Roman  _ who’s come after him, the theatre teacher sounding very worried about him. “Please come out, Dimitri… I’m sorry about what happened, but there’s no need to hide from me! I swear, I’m  _ not  _ angry with you!”

Quietly, Dimitri weighs his options, not sure what he should do. On one hand, he’s just glad it’s not Principal Star coming after him, as his employer tends to be a bit… well,  _ smothering, _ at least when it comes to trying to take care of other people. On the other hand, Dimitri wishes it was literally anyone but Roman trying to track him down, as he doesn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of the other teacher. Remus or Virgil he could handle, but  _ Roman?  _ Dimitri would rather have a therapy session with Principal Star. Even so, he knows staying hidden won’t do him much good, especially if the other teachers want to go home soon; Virgil would have a heart attack if he found Dimitri sleeping in his trunk…  _ again.  _ Swallowing around a lump in his throat, Dimitri pokes his head up just enough to look around, his eyes soon landing on Roman. The theatre teacher is only a few feet away, but he has his back to Virgil’s car. Instead of checking the counselor’s truck, Roman is checking Dimitri’s car first, shining his phone’s flashlight into the vehicle’s front and back seats, trying to see if Dimitri fell asleep in his car. When this turns up nothing, Roman audibly sighs, his tone one of both frustration and worry… it makes Dimitri feel like crap for igniting such feelings in the other man.

“Dimitri… I don’t know why you’re hiding from me, or even why you ran out here to begin with,” Roman admits, pacing the area as he talks aloud, hoping to draw Dimitri out of whatever hiding place he’s in. “But know that no one is angry with you, and that I’m not here to judge you. In fact, you don’t even have to tell me what’s wrong! I certainly wouldn’t mind knowing, but I don’t  _ have  _ to know… please, Dimitri, come out.” He pauses by Virgil’s car, only a foot and a half away from where Dimitri’s hiding.

Once again he’s hesitant, but after taking a deep breath, Dimitri takes the plunge; he’s already drowning, he may as well see if the nearby boat will stop for him. “Roman,” He says, sitting up on his knees so Roman will see him better. “I’m… I’m over here.” It feels weird calling Roman by his first name, as he’s so used to calling everyone by their last names, but Dimitri will make an exception… just this once.

Roman  _ jumps, _ startled by the noise. He swings around, eyes wide until they land on Dimitri, who he visibly softens for. “Dimitri!” He shouts, pocketing his phone to get rid of the too-bright light. “Goodness, you scared me! Are you alright?” He steps up to the car, reaching up to rest a hand on Dimitri’s arm.

Dimitri flinches away from Roman, subconsciously drawing the cloak he’s wearing tighter around himself. “I, um,” He stutters, struggling to come up with an excuse for his behavior. “I’m sorry for running, Prince, I just… got stage fright, that’s all.” He looks away the whole time, not trusting his eyes to keep his secret.

“I  _ know  _ you’re lying,” Roman states, climbing up into Virgil’s trunk bed. He sits cross-legged beside Dimitri, shoulder to shoulder with his fellow teacher. “It’s okay, Dimitri, really… I know it was something Remus did, that freaking _ idiot,”  _ He glares at his boots, his anger from earlier returning to him in an instant. “I swear, if it weren’t for my job being on the line, I’d deck him.”

Dimitri manages a loose laugh, though it holds no honesty. “I’d pay good money to watch that fight,” He says, subconsciously leaning against Roman, comforted by the other man’s closeness. “Sorry again for running like that… I hope I didn’t ruin your play.”

“You didn’t,” Roman’s quick to say it, not wanting Dimitri to feel guilty. “In fact, despite all of the mishaps and our muddled finale, Principal Star told me that my original play is acceptable to go into full production,” He smiles quite fondly now, his excitement obvious. “Once we’re done with Hamlet, I’ll be sure to let the students know… I’ve already got a few students picked out that I’d like to see in certain roles!”

Dimitri smiles, if only to keep Roman feeling good. “Sounds like you’ve got everything figured out,” He mutters, truly happy for him, but the feeling is dampened by his bad mood. Looking away, the psychology teacher sighs again, his irises full of grief. “I’m glad I didn’t ruin everything for you, Roman… even if I  _ did  _ embarrass you.”

“Will you stop beating yourself up over this?” Roman gives Dimitri a pout, unhappy with how he’s acting. “It’s  _ okay  _ to feel things, Dimitri! Honestly, you’re starting to sound like  _ Logan!” _ He then softens, scared he crossed a line. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you, Dimitri… what Remus did wasn’t your fault, and you shouldn’t blame yourself for panicking,” Roman leans back on his hands, feigning staring at the stars overhead, but it’s obvious he’s still invested in the conversation. “So… do you want to talk about it?” He quits dancing around the subject, aware that Dimitri will keep giving him the run around until he demands a straight answer.

Dimitri hesitates, not looking at Roman, his eyes glued to his shoes. After a few seconds, he glances at the stars as well, comforted somewhat by their dull shine. “I…” He struggles to get the words out, not sure how much he trusts Roman; he likes him, sure, but not enough to tell him everything he’s been trying to hide. “Is it okay if I  _ don’t?” _ He may as well ask, seeing as Roman offered him that option anyways.

Roman looks a tad disappointed, but he relents. “Of  _ course  _ it’s okay, Dimitri… sorry for pressuring you,” He lies down on his back, arms behind his head to act as a cushion. “We can just sit here in silence if you’d like… sometimes all you need is another person around.”

Dimitri couldn’t agree more, giving Roman a short nod to prove it. For awhile, Dimitri stays upright, knees still tight against his chest, but as the minutes tick by, he slowly but surely unwinds, his heels sliding lower and lower, until his legs are stretched out in front of him. It takes even longer for him to lie down, though Dimitri soon achieves this as well, eventually feeling his back rest against the truck bed, the only place to look being upward. The stars aren’t as apparent or bright as they are in less polluted areas, but Dimitri still admires the view for what it is, silently tracing constellations with his eyes, unable to keep back a smirk whenever he finishes the mental outline. As promised, Roman doesn’t bug Dimitri for awhile, giving him more than enough time to chill out, which…  _ actually _ helps. Before, Dimitri felt so isolated, left to wallow in the back of another man’s car as he tried to fight back his inevitable panic attack, but with someone else here, even if they’re not saying anything to him… it makes him feel so much less alone. And like Roman said, sometimes that’s all anyone needs, when faced with panic. Some people need to be held and given attention, but people like Dimitri… all he needs is some space, as well as a witness, so long as he approves of their presence first.

After what feels like an hour, Roman rolls onto his side, facing Dimitri. “Feeling any better?” He asks, a light blush on his face; whether that’s from embarrassment or the chill is unknown to Dimitri. “I don’t mean to rush you, I’m just checking to make sure this is helping.”

“I… I am, I think,” Dimitri admits, rolling over to face Roman, their noses only centimeters apart. “Thank you for, um… for staying with me, Roman.”

Roman smiles so  _ lovingly, _ it has Dimitri’s heart racing a few beats faster. “It’s my pleasure,” He assures, tone honest. Suddenly, he brightens, an idea hitting him. “You  _ know…  _ after opening night, it’s tradition for the cast to go out for dinner,” He has such a smirk on his face, full of a deviousness Dimitri is more accustomed to seeing on Remus. “Seeing as it’s far too late for dinner, would you like to grab some ice cream instead? It would be my treat.”

Dimitri smirks back, not minding that idea one bit, though he’s still a bit hesitant. “What about everyone else? It’s not like we were the only actors, you know.”

Roman shrugs nonchalantly. “I’m pretty sure everyone else already has plans for the night… besides, I want to repay you for helping with the play; if it weren’t for you, I’m fairly certain it would’ve crashed and burned,” He’s obviously just trying to have a one on one outting with Dimitri, using any excuse he can come up with. “What do you say? You’re free to just go home, of course, but I don’t mind spending more time with you. In fact, I’d really like to!”

Offhandedly, Dimitri feels as though he’s being asked out on a date, but he quickly stomps on that embarrassing thought until it dies. “You know… why the hell not? Ice cream sounds heavenly right now.” That’s definitely true; he’d kill for some strawberry swirl right about now.

“Perfect!” Roman cheers, grinning like a bobcat. “Then let’s-”

“-Are you guys seriously in my freaking car?” Virgil questions, appearing out of seemingly nowhere beside the pick-up truck. He raises an eyebrow at Dimitri in particular, trying to feign annoyance, but it’s clear he’s concerned for the psychology teacher.

“AH!” Roman yelps, jumping away from Virgil, which lands him in Dimitri’s lap, but he doesn’t seem to notice right away. “The hell are  _ you  _ doing here, Stormcloud!?”

Virgil rolls his eyes. “This is  _ my  _ car, Princey,” He points out, unimpressed with Roman’s floundering. “Think you can move your make-out session someplace else? I wanna go home.”

Dimitri feels himself blushing, more than a little embarrassed to be caught in this position, especially with Roman of all people. “Sorry, Castro,” He mutters, unabashedly shoving Roman to get him moving, following him in jumping out of the truck bed. “We were only-”

“-I don’t need to know,” Virgil promises, waving Dimitri off. Once Roman has stepped away to stretch, he subtly scoots to Dimitri’s side, looking him over with worry filled eyes. “Seriously, are you okay? That looked pretty rough back there.” He keeps his voice low, just in case Roman tries eavesdropping on them.

Dimitri looks away, still ashamed of his reaction to the lighter. “It’s nothing, Castro,” He promises, a weight in his stomach making him feel nauseous. “Hayes just spooked me, that’s all.”

Virgil simply nods his head in understanding. “He tends to do that,” He says, no stranger to being scared shitless by Remus’s usual antics. “Don’t worry, Simon chewed him out for causing a scene… by the way, Star told me to tell you he’s sorry. Not sure what for, but whatever.”

Dimitri resists the urge to roll his eyes in exasperation, not surprised that the college’s principal is needlessly fretting over him again. “Tell that man I’m  _ perfectly fine;  _ he doesn’t need to act like my damn father,” He then sighs, cheeks a dusty red. “Sorry, I’m just… Star can be rather  _ coddling.” _

“Don’t worry, I  _ totally  _ get it,” As usual, Virgil understands Dimitri all too well, familiar with getting coddled by authority figures, as well as other teachers. “Just stay safe tonight, alright? I’ll see you on Monday.” With that, he gets in his car, and once certain Dimitri and Roman are out of the way, he drives out of the parking lot.

Once Virgil has been gone for a few seconds, Roman huffs outright. “Can always count on the Grim Dreamer to ruin the moment,” He mutters, glaring after Virgil’s car as it drives away. He then glances hesitantly at Dimitri, as if he’s worried about something. “So, um… can we still get ice cream, or are you done for tonight?”

Dimitri can’t help but smile, appreciating how patient and gentle Roman has been with him tonight. “I’d still like to get ice cream,” He assures, smiling fondly at his fellow teacher. He offers the man his elbow, trying to be playful. “Shall we, Dragon Prince?”

Roman chuckles, accepting the gesture. “Of course, Lord Vagabond,” He says, playing along with the game. “Though, you know my character’s full name is Norman of the Dragon’s Den, right? Dragon Prince is just his secondary title.”

Dimitri rolls his eyes, shaking his head. “So fucking  _ dramatic.”  _ He acts as if this is a bad thing, scoffing at Roman’s antics.

“Well, I’m the Theatre teacher for a  _ reason.” _ Roman points out, not missing a beat.

And Dimitri laughs, chest warm as he walks arm and arm with Roman, feeling less alone with every step they take towards his car. Sure, he still sees the world as an ocean, and he still thinks he’s drowning most days, but with Roman’s boat nearby… he doesn’t think he has to stay that way forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Cheesy af ending, but I’m a sucker for this sorta crap. I hope people actually like this one, as I’m kind of shit at writing romance, but I think this turned out okay! Please comment if you liked this one; it would absolutely make my day! And please make sure to check out the Teacher AU’s tag on Tik Tok for more content: [ssteachers]


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